Serving tray



May 21, 1935. o. MITCHELL SERVING TRAY FiledMarch 10, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I FREDIIENV FE FIG. 2.

INVENTOR ORV/LLE MITCHELL May 21, 1935. o. MITCHELL 2,002,328

SERVING TRAY Filed March 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheef, 2

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" ORV/LL: MITCHELL E MMW nrro'mvey V Patented May 21, 1935 rif T omrso j:The general objects ofitheinvention are to proi: .f i 902 3 8 r H@zgooaezs f I r @sERvING TlAY. -l' i 1 Orville h uan nas 1a.. was Ins-ma mpany; of Texas a corporation A dpplicati onMarclr lt, mag -seams.sites 6: (c1142) This invention 'relates to a novel construction ofservice trayrin-tended to be' supported from the lower sill. of the doorwindow of ana t and to extend into the car.

duce a simplifiedconstruction of tray of this character, to render thesameeasy of application to the window; toifacilitate adjustingthetraytoa level positionywithin the car and to insure that the tray when onceadjusted innposition will be prevented from displacement in theordinary-fuse to which \it'is subjected. i In effect, my invention aimsto improve the construction of service-tray described andclaimediniLetters Patent toGraiham, No. 1,921;463,"dated'August 8, 1933;1 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, ingwhich:t. 1 Figure. 1 is a. sectional view through the right hand front doortofa carwithgthewindow in a grFigure .6 is a perspectivejview illustratinga modified construction of tray and hanger; and

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectionalview. through aportion of thesupport shown .inFigure 6 Referring now to the drawings, the numeral Iindicates a tray, and 2 a combined support and hanger therefon Thiscombinedlsupport and hanger comprises a metal bar, preferably round incross section, and bent uponitself at right angles at either end to formparallel arms 3, upwardly converging sidebars 4; and a horizontalportion '5. j The arms 3 are positioned on either side of the tray; atone end thereof and extend along said sides toapproximatelyone' half thelength of the tray, and are secured'to the o-traywithin flanged portions6 on the sideof the tray which are curved about the arms 3, as moreclearly; shown in Figures l and 5.- The arms 3; where theyjoin the sidebarsl project-somedistance beyond the end of the tray, asshown byvFigure2, and mounted oneach corner of the hanger 2 is-a metal 'clipJ, having aportion 8, partially encircling the arm 3 and forming a continuation ofthe; curved flange B, as shown by, Figure 5, and another portion 9,

curved about the lower endyportions of the side bars ,as shown"moreparticularly inFigures 3 and 5. The portions Band 9 of the clipsextendat right angles to each other, an'd'are joined toan integralsubstantially flat portion 10; whichprosionhook therewith.

j ects rearwardly beyond the side bars 4 and is then bent :inwardly atright anglesto provide a circular' flang'e H, Figures 1, 2 andr5, onwhich is secured arubber button I 2, which rests upon the insidel ofthezcar when the tray isrmounted in position-onthe sillsof the window ofthe door.

so For suspending the tray in position I secure centrally ofthehorizontal portion 5, of the hanger, a suspension member l3, Figures2 and 4, the same comprising a body portion l4, whichis bent around andrigidly secured to the horizontal portion 5,?an'd an arm; l 5, whichprojects rearwardly at right angles ;to .the body. portion M. The arm i5is provided with a slot 16, and adjustably mounted on the under side ofsaidarm is a suspensionhook I], Figures-1 and t4, which is adapted to beheld in adjusted positions on the arm l5 on the-under-isi deof ahorizontal portion 20 of the suspension hook [1, the bolt extendingupward through; said horizontal portion and through the slot I S endhaving a hand wheel 2| mounted 'thereon, -between WmGh, nd the arm [5,is inter- .posed awasher, 22.; Asjillustrated in Figures 1, Zandghthearm15 is corrugated at its sides to provide outwardly and upwardly inclinedbeads 2 am depending zfianges 24, serving as guides to securethemovement of the suspension hook :inright lines, anda relativelynarrow central portion; 25, which contains the slot l6 and againstthe'under side of whichtthe horizontal portion 20 of the suspensionhookwill bind when the hand lwheel2 turnedfdbwn to force the washer 22 intoengagement with theupper surfaces'of the lateraljtapering beads 23. Theconstruction presents, in efiect, a wedge engaged between the hand wheeland the horizontal portion 20 of theadjustable suspension hook, tendingto increase the binding action between these parts, or to produce suchbinding action in the event the hand wheel is not turned intosufficiently firm' engagement "sill of the'window and prevent marring orscratching of the same by contact of the metal suspen- In practice, asshown by Figurel, the suspension .hook I1 is designed tobejinserted inthe well of the' door which houses the glass window 21, when thelatterislowered; As also indicated in Figure 1, thesidebars converging upwardlyfrom :the extreme outer'sides .of the. device, will extend on eitherside \of. the operating handle 28, for

:by means of a bolt l8,=having ahead I9 secured 2a, having a horizontalportion 5a, this element being similar to the combined support andhanger 2, of the previous construction, but being of less F height.Secured on the horizontal portion. 5a is a hanger, 29, which issubstantially'triangular' in shape, its lower portion being recessed asshown at 30 in Figure 7, to provide securing members; I,

which are curled about the horizontal portion 5a and spot-weldedthereto, as indicated at 32 in Figure '7."- r

Atits upper end or apex, the hanger 29 is provided with an elongatedopening 33. Fonsupporting the deviceon the sill iofthe window, I providea suspension hook 34, which is..in the form 1 of a flat metalbar benttwice upon itself at right angles to form the hook and to'provide anarrow depending portion 35, which at its lower end is caused to partlyencircle the horizontal part 5a of the support so as to pivot thereon asindicated at 36 in Figure '7. Secured to and projecting inwardly beyondthe suspension hook 34 and through an elongatedopening- 33, is a bolt 31having a hand wheel 38 screwed on the outer end thereof and having acentral integral boss 39, which is adapted to bear against the upper endof the hanger,29.= 1 a r The above construction presents, in certaincases, some advantages over the preceding construction, particularly inrendering it easier to adjust the position of thetray to level the samewhen the window 21 is raised. It'will be seen that in the modifiedconstruction, the hand wheel 38 is disposed at the side of the hangerinstead of being located ontop-of thesuspension hook, as in thepreceding construction, thus rendering it quiteeasy for an occupantofthe car to turn the hand wheel 38 to adjust the level ofthe tray.

Another advantage resides in-the fact that the leveling of the tray isaccomplished inerely by turning the hand wheel, requiringthe use of onlyone hand, whereas, in'theprevious construction, the hand wheel must beturned with one hand and the trayraised or' lowered with'the other.

An impo'rtant'feature of the invention is the fact that in the mainconstruction the sidebars 4 converge upwardly to provide a relativelynarthe tray and prevents accidental turning or misplacement of thereof.A I s i The same principleis preserved in the modified construction,where the hanger 29 tapers upwardly to the-hook 34; V

In adjusting the'tray'lengitudinally, the but- I the trayin makingadjustment tons #2 act asp'ivots or trunnions-for the tray,

and the narrow "suspension member at the top permits ready adjustment ofthe tray transversely. Another distinctive feature of the invention isthe tapered or wedge shape ofthebinding surfaces of the arm I5,afi'orded by the beads 23 and central fiat portion 25, clearlyillustrated in Figure 4. If the arm l5 were perfectly flat on oppositesidesany slight loosening of the hand wheel 2| or the failure of theoperator to properly tighten this hand wheel when adjusting the tray toa level position would permit the arm to be drawn inward by weightapplied on the tray, the latter turning on the trunnions l2, with theliability of discharging the contents of the tray into the laps of theoccupants of the car. By providing binding surfaces on the arm l5 whichform a Wedge between the corresponding binding surfacespofthe suspensionhook and hand wheel, it

. will be obvious thatif the hand wheel should not be turned to forcethe respective binding surfaces into engagement, or if the hand wheelshould be accidentally loosened, or unturned, the gradual outwarddivergence between the fiat surface 25 and the beads 23 will insurethese parts moving into binding engagement with the hand wheel andsuspension hook 20 and thus prevent any but a slight downward movementofthe tray.

I claim: v

1. A serving tray. adapted-to be supported from the window. sill of' anautomobile .comprising, in combination, a tray, an integral supportingstructure therefor consisting of a one-piece metal bar having parallelportions extending along opposite sides of the tray, side'portionsextending at right angles to said parallel portions and convergingupwardly therefrom and a horizontal portion connecting the upper endsofv said side portions, flanges on the sides of the trayinclosing andsecuring said parallel portions totheJtray, metal clips secured to saidsupporting structure at the therefor consisting of a one-piece metal barhaving parallel portions projecting along opposite sides of the tray anda hanger portion consisting of side portions extending at right anglesto said parallelportions and converging upwardly to a horizontal portionof the bar, flanges on the sides of said tray inclosing and securingsaid parallel portions to the tray, bumpers mountedon said supportingstructure in line with said parallel portions, a suspensionmembersecured to and projecting outward from the horizontal portion atthe upper end of said hanger and'a hook for engaging over' the sill ofthe window'adjustably mounted on'said suspension member. v

3. A serving tray adapted to be supported from the window sill of anautomobile comprising, in

combination, a tray, a supporting structure therefor consisting of aone-piece metal bar having parallel portions projecting along oppositesides "of the tray and side portions converging upwardly to a horizontalportion of the bar, flanges on the sidesof said tray inclosing andsecuring said parallel portions to the tray, bumpers mounted on saidsupport in line withsaid parallel portions,

a hanger secured to and projecting upwardly from the horizontal portionof said bar, a suspension member pivotally mounted centrally of thehorizontal portion of said bar opposite said hanger wheel mounted onsaid bolt and engaging said and having a hook for engaging over the sillof hanger, whereby the upper end of the latter may the window, and meansfor adjusting'said supbe moved toward or from the suspension memportrelative to said suspension member comprisher by turning said hand wheelin one direction 5 ing a bolt mounted on the latter and extending or theother.

through the upper end of said hanger, and a hand ORVIILE MITCHELL.

